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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rock — a stone
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rest — what's left
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. cold — an illness
  11. rock — music
  12. cold — not warm
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rule — government
  16. rest — a break
  17. bound — tied together
  18. scale — in music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bound — certain
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bound — obliged

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com